Evacuation advisories, warnings issued as typhoon Cimaron bears down on western Japan

August 23, 2018 (Mainichi Japan)

Hiroshima Gov. Hidehiko Yuzaki (Mainichi)

Several local governments in western Japan issued evacuation advisories and instructions on Aug. 23, as typhoon Cimaron remains on track to make landfall in the evening, lashing the region with strong winds and torrential rain.

Evacuation orders have been issued to some areas of the Ehime Prefecture city of Seiyo, and evacuation advisories to some districts of Otoyo, Nankoku and Muroto in Kochi Prefecture as well as in Osaka Prefecture. Other local bodies including the prefectural governments of Kochi, Tokushima, Wakayama and Ehime, Nara and Hyogo have recommended that residents in some areas prepare to evacuate.

As the typhoon, the 20th of this season, continues on its path toward western Japan, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) has issued windstorm warnings in many areas of the western prefectures of Hyogo, Okayama, Wakayama, Tottori, Kawaga, Tokushima, Kochi, Ehime, Oita, Miyazaki and Kagoshima. It has also issued strong wind advisories in extensive areas of western Japan, including Osaka, Nara, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Shimane, Fukuoka, Nagasaki and Saga. The agency said the sea in western Japan will remain rough because of the typhoon.

Additionally, the JMA has released heavy rain warnings or advisories in many areas of the prefectures of Nara, Wakayama, Mie, Tottori, Kagawa, Kochi, Tokushima, Ehime, Oita, Miyazaki and Kumamoto.

The typhoon will also affect western areas that were hit hard in early July by torrential rains that left more than 200 people dead. One of those areas, Hiroshima Prefecture, set up a disaster countermeasures task force on Aug. 23 and instructed municipal governments under its jurisdiction to issue evacuation advisories or orders at an early stage and take other measures to prevent secondary damage.

"The typhoon will likely approach the prefecture in the middle of the night. It's difficult to flee after it grows dark. We'd like residents to take shelter in solid buildings or evacuation shelters before it gets dark," Gov. Hidehiko Yuzaki said.